Безличные и неопределенно-личные предложения

Упражнение 28 (I). Переведите следующие предложения:

А

1. It has long been known that metals can pass from a metallic to an earthy form.

2. It was in 1896 that natural radioactivity was discovered.

3. It is difficult to liberate oxygen from a compound as most of its compounds are very stable.

4. In atomic studies it has become the practice to express energies in electron-volt units.

5. It is the sun that steadily sends out a great amount of radiant energy.

6. It is the steam turbine that has replaced the old reciprocating engine.

7. On a physical map one can see seas, rivers and mountains.

8. The engine stopped; it was badly damaged.

9. A few years ago they had an exhibition of the Indian art in Leningrad.

10. One can still see Magellan’s ship in Spain exhibited ashore in memory of the first journey around the world.

11. The coming winter, they say, will be exptremely cold.

12. One could hardly expect such a turn of circumstances.

B

1. It was they, all the Soviet people who, by their toil and military skill, by their sweat and blood achieved the glorious victories which saved our country from enthrallment.

2. It was with the aim of promoting durable peace and general security in the world that the governments of the USSR and China concluded the treaty.

3. One understands that the rearmament of West Germany is inconsistent with European security.

4. One must not forget about the atrocities committed by the German fascists.

5. It was Lomonosov who first stated that heat phenomena is connected with the motion of molecules.

6. It is the Russian scientist Lenz who established the law of heating effect of the electric current.

7. It was Tsiolkovsky who first designed a wind-tunnel in Russia.

8. It should be noted that a nuclear power plant of 100, 000 kilowatt capacity would consume daily about 200-250 grams of uranium.

9. It was formerly believed that all heavy objects fell faster than light objects.

10. One should be especially careful when working with gamma and beta rays.

11. The winter of 1941 was extremely cold, in fact it was the coldest winter for the previous 10 years.

12. The flax crop, they say, will be fine this year.

13. One can see a great number of beautiful new houses in Moscow.

14. If one wants a thing done, one should do it oneself.

Упражнение 29 (II). Переведите текст, обратив внимание на безличные и неопределенно-личные предложения и способы их перевода.

THE RUSTING OF METALS

It has long been known that metals can pass from a metallic to an earthy form. One must be careful not to expose unprotected iron to the open air, as under the influence of atmospheric conditions the outer layer of the iron quickly changes into a reddish crust called the rust. One can easily find that this new material is a different substance from iron. The rust is very brittle, it is much lighter, bulk for bulk, than iron and it is not attracted by a magnet.

It was early observed that, although the specific gravity of the earthy product was less than that of the metal, yet there was a much greater bulk of it, and that, in fact, the earthy material weighed more than the original specimen of the metal.

It was Lomonosov who first proved that the extra material came from the air. He placed some tin in a flask and sealed up the mouth of the vessel. The tin was heated and converted into the white powder. Upon weighing the apparatus it was found that no change in weight occurred. It turned out, however, that when the mouth of flask was opened, a good deal of air rushed in and the total weight was then greater. A portion of the original air had joined itself with the tin to form the powder.

Eighteen years later the same experiment was made and the same conclusion drawn from it by Lavoisier. He named the gas taken from the air, oxygen.

It is possible to confirm these conclusions in various ways.

For example, when the air is pumped out of the flask before it is sealed, the metal can be heated in the vacuum indefinitely without rusting. Thus it can be seen that fundamentally rusting is the process in which metals oxidize and form compounds.

It has been estimated that more than 25 per cent of the annual production of iron in the USA is consumed in replacing other iron that has been rendered unserviceable by rusting.

It is necessary, therefore, to wage a constant battle against this chemical process and our immediate concern is how to take care of metallic devices and structures once they enter our possession.

We try to prevent or reduce rusting by various means, such as electroplating, painting or otherwise treating the metals that are susceptible to attack by the agencies of this harmful action.

 

Модальность

Упражнение 30 (I). Переведите следующие предложения:

1. Atomic nuclei can interact with neutrons, electrons, and gamma radiation.

2. As we should infer from the vigour with which its constituents combine, water is a very stable substance.

3. The current can flow through a wire only when the circuit is closed.

4. The magnitude of electrical current may vary from a minute amount to a very large quantity.

5. In the ammeter the current which is to be measured flows between terminals A and B.

6. Speaking about the structure of the atom one should remember that the proton is smaller but heavier than the electron.

7. Only very little current should flow through the voltmeter to operate it, and its mechanism must be very delicate and fine.

8. To tear away from the liquid the molecule which leaves it should have a large amount of kinetic energy.

9. Elastic limit is the point beyond which one should not attempt deforming the body if it is to return to its original condition.

10. The convocation of international scientific conferences, which are to be attended by scientists from different countries and belonging to different schools, can undoubtedly promote the development of science.

11. The investment in an atomic reactor must be high, but the running cost is so low that something like a large tanker can be run as cheaply on atomic energy as on conventional fuel.

12. Working with picric acid one must remember of its explosive nature.

13. Our scientists had to solve the problem of controlling chain reactions.

14. The nature of the raw material must be taken into consideration in the selection of a method of its analysis.

16. A voltmeter may be connected between any two points whose voltage difference is to be measured.

17. You ought to know the properties of the ingredients.

18. There must be a greater number of turns of wire on the field magnets to produce a magnetic field of adequate strength.

19. If “water gas” is to be used as a source of pure hydrogen, carbon monoxide must be removed.

20. One must remember that any reaction is theoretically reversible.

21. It we are to convert a gas into a liquid, we must increase the attraction of the molecules for one another.

22. The unit of heat should not be confused with the degree of temperature.

23. This explosive may be either a liquid or a solid.

Упражнение 31. Переведите следующие предложения на русский язык, обращая особое внимание на передачу модальности в переводе:

1. From where I left the horse I could see some white-painted fisherman's huts.

2. 1 could see the ghost of a contemptuous smile flittering around my father's lips.

3.Candidates shall remain in their seats until all the papers have been collected.

4."It is very disappointing," he said, "that Hugh should leave just when I counted on him to help me."

5.You must have been misled by an accidental resemblance.

6."You must come and see us when you return to London," he said.

7.I'm sorry that you should have had a row with Patrick about it.

8.The sticks will be kindled two by two, the poor flame showing a pretence at heat.

9.And, motionless, old Jolyon stared at the wall; but for his open eyes, he might have been asleep.

10.The place might have been Crusoe's desert island, so still it was, so isolated from the rest of the world.

11.The police, the fishmongers, boys going to school, dozens of people waved at him. I might have been riding with royalty.

12.She quickly lowered her gaze lest he should look up suddenly and see her eyes.

Упражнение 32 (II). Переведите текст, обращая внимание на модальность:

EQUILIBRIUM

With what can we associate the word “equilibrium”? We ought to know that the term applies equally well to a motor-car moving along a straight road at a constant speed. From a scientific point of view an object can be in equilibrium not only when it is standing motionless, but also when it is moving in a straight line at constant speed. On the other hand it would not be in equilibrium if it were increasing speed or slowing down or provided it were going around a corner.

Evidently, when there are no forces pulling or pushing a body, that body must always be in equilibrium. However, objects with forces acting on them may also be in equilibrium. But, then, the forces must balance; that is, their vector sum is to equal zero. Thus, in the case of the speeding automobile there are forces acting, but they balance each other in pairs. The pull of gravity downward is counteracted by the push of the road upward. The driving force supplied by the motor is balanced by air resistance and other frictional forces. However, as the driving force supplied by the motor is greater than the frictional resistance, the car is accelerated.

But sometimes an object may not be in equilibrium even though the vector sum of all the forces is zero. It may have a tendency to rotate unless all the forces are applied at a single point, or unless the tendency to rotate in one direction balances the tendency to rotate in the opposite.

Thus the second condition for equilibrium is that the tendency to rotate should be zero. There are always two requirements for equilibrium: first, the vector sum of all the forces acting on a body should be zero; and, second, there must be no tendency to rotate, that is, the tendency to rotate the body in one direction must be balanced by the tendency to rotate it in the opposite direction.

We have to point out the importance of equilibrium in any engineering design and construction. For example, if a house is to stand, each of its parts must evidently be in equilibrium.

НЕЛИЧНЫЕ ФОРМЫ ГЛАГОЛА

Упражнение 33 (I). Определите функцию формы с окончанием –ing и переведите следующие предложения:

1. In passing through a metal electrons collide with many ions.

2. When the boiling is reached the adding of heat does not raise the temperature.

3. The proper work of an engine depends upon its being well lubricated.

4. All the chemical transformations that take place around us only change energy from one form into another without affecting the total.

5. Coal and any other fuel provide the heat required for driving our engines and turbines.

6. In carrying out the plan of launching an artificial satellite our scientists had to solve many difficult problems.

7. The bridge having been repaired so quickly surprised us very much.

8. Before discussing this question they made a short break.

9. I knew nothing about the recent happenings.

10. Their having crossed the river caused a great surprise.

11. War causes hard sufferings.

Упражнение 34. Определите функции герундия в следующих предложениях. Переведите.

1.Studying nature without making observation is useless.

2.Heating the gas increases the speed of molecules.

3.Seeing is believing.

4.Earthing is of vital importance in all electrical systems and for all apparatus.

5.Upon breaking the magnet into still shorter pieces we still get complete magnets.

6.Breaking the circuit causes sparking.

7.Science requires experimenting.

8.Computers are widely used for controlling industrial processes.

9.A barometer is an instrument for measuring the pressure of the atmosphere.

10.In rotating the magnet, we also rotate its magnetic field.

11.Everybody hates being interrupted.

12.He doesn’t like being treated like this.

Упражнение 35. Замените формы причастия в функциях обстоятельства соответствующими формами герундия с предлогами in или on. Переведите.

Образец: While making → In making

Having made → On making

Having been made → On being made

1.While melting the ice keeps the same temperature.

2.Having been heated to a sufficient temperature any body becomes a source of light.

3.Using a transformer one can increase a voltage of the alternating current (a.c.).

4.Leaving the metal surface the electrons can produce currents.

5.Having made a lot of experiments Faraday discovered the electromagnetic induction.

Упражнение 36. Переведите предложения, содержащие герундий. Помните, глагольная форма с окончанием -ing является герундием, если перед ней стоит предлог, притяжательное местоимение или существительное в притяжательном падеже, а также если данная глагольная форма выполняет функции подлежащего или дополнения.

1.Being an effective manager is not the same as being an efficient manager.

2.Being an effective manager also means being flexible.

3.Setting unnecessary rules or adhering to existing rules at all costs will only inhibit staff performance.

4.The very engineering skills that won you a promotion to management can be a detriment to your becoming an effective manager of engineers.

5.Learning to delegate responsibility to subordinates is not easy, especially if you are highly competent engineer.

6.Soon after becoming a manager, you become aware that there are other major forces in the company besides engineering, R&D, and marketing.

7.Most plastic resins are not capable of handling the loads of structural applications.

8.Continuous thermal press forming involves running the feedstock horizontally between two opposed steel conveyor belts.

9.A well-run organization raises productivity by eliminating unnecessary jobs.

10. The computer will assist the process planner in preparing the process plans, time studies and cost estimates.

11. Meetings usually are best for identifying or presenting problems, not for solving them.

12. A meeting should have a clearly defined purpose that will justify taking busy people away from their work.

13.When a discussion begins wandering far afield, some fencing-in is in order. This is done by narrowing the field – keeping to one basic question and not allowing others to intrude.

Упражнение 37. Переведите предложения. Обратите внимание на герундиальные обороты.

1.The engineer mentioned his having tested the instrument.

2.We knew nothing of their having been met by our chief.

3.B. Franklin’s having worked in the field of electricity is known all over the world.

4.The main disadvantage of early rockets resulted from the rockets being inaccurate.

5.The manager approved of the problem being discussed in detail.

6.Everybody congratulated on Mr. Brown being appointed manager.

7.He isn’t used to his name having been often mentioned in the press lately.

8.The velocity of a moving object can change by its speeding up, slowing down, or changing its direction of motion.

Упражнение 38. Прочитайте и переведите следующие тексты. При переводе обратите внимание на неличные формы глагола.

Rethinking work

Across the planet, the shrinking of opportunities to work for decent pay is a crisis yet to be faced. In the end, the job crisis raises the most fundamental question of human existence: what are we doing here? There is a colossal amount of work waiting to be done by human beings – building decent places to live, exploring the universe, making cities less dangerous, teaching one another, raising our children, visiting, comforting, healing, feeding one another, dancing, making music, telling stories, inventing things, and governing ourselves. But much of the essential activity people have always undertaken to raise and educate their families, to enjoy themselves, to give pleasure to others, and to advance the general welfare is not packaged as jobs. Until we rethink work and decide what human beings are meant to do in the age of robots and what basic economic claims on society human beings have by virtue of being here, there will never be enough jobs.

– From “The end of jobs”, by Richard J. Barnet, senior fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies, in Harper’s magazine, September 1993.